For thousands of years, horse racing has remained one of the world’s most popular sports. Large crowds continue to gather at racetracks everywhere to witness some impressively fast horses compete in various races.
However, unless you bet on horse racing or follow the sport closely, you might not be very knowledgeable about it. Don’t worry – we’re here to provide a helping hand with this list.
Here are 7 of the most interesting facts about horse racing.
1. Racehorses Are Extremely Valuable
Racehorses don’t come cheap, especially those that go on to win bigger races. A racehorse named Fusaichi Pegasus sold for an impressive $70 million to one of the world’s biggest breeders, Coolmore Ireland, in 2000. He racked up winnings of almost $2 million and took home the title for the Kentucky Derby in the same year – two factors that only served to increase his value!
2. It’s Better Live
Like a lot of other sporting events and games, watching horse racing in person is always much better than watching it on TV. Tickets to big events are usually pretty costly and can often cost hundreds of dollars. This price is largely due to the overall demand for the event.
3. Betting Is Important
Betting on horse racing has been a common practice since the beginning of the sport. Placing wagers on the outcome of these races has always been one of the things that attract people to horse racing, and is also a large reason why horse racing remains one of the most popular global sports today.
For more information, and to understand more about the horse racing betting scene, look out for live coverage of Kentucky Oaks odds.
4. It’s A Billion Dollar Industry
Horse racing is one of the USA’s longest-running sporting events. So it may come as no surprise to find out that it brings in an annual estimate of $36.6 billion into the U.S. economy, and that it also supports over a million jobs on a full-time basis.
5. Horses Are Incredible Athletes
Horses are very athletic animals as they have large hearts. A human heart beats between 60 and 100 times per minute at rest. However, a thoroughbred racehorse will have a resting heart rate of only 40 beats a minute.
6. It Has A Rich History
While the modern-day sport originated in Britain, horses have been racing for much longer. Horse racing actually dates back to around 4500 BC when Nomadic tribesmen raced the animals for fun in Central Asia. In 1000 BC, the Greeks began racing chariots pulled by horses – introducing the concept of horse racing. By 664 BC, horseback racing was declared an official sport.
7. Thoroughbred Horses Share A Birthday
No matter the exact date that they are born, racehorses all share a birthday. Those born in the Northern Hemisphere share a birthday on January 1, whereas those in the Southern Hemisphere have their birthday on August 1.
Overall, this makes it much easier to keep track of a horse’s age. Many of the biggest horse races have age limits. Notably, the Kentucky Derby requires horses to be three years old. This gives a horse a single chance of winning.
Summary
Horse racing is a sport with a rich and interesting history. There is so much to learn and remember about the sport, but these are some of the most crucial facts you just have to know.
